Background: A photo of the fire damage to Joshua Kannin”s apartment in Kenosha, Wis. (GoFundMe). Inset (from left to right): Connor, Rylee, and Alena Kannin (GoFundMe).
In Wisconsin, a man is facing serious charges after allegedly abandoning his apartment during a fire, leaving behind his three children who tragically perished.
Joshua Kannin, 39, is now charged with three counts of child neglect resulting in death, as announced by the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office. These charges relate to the harrowing incident on November 27, 2025, when Kannin’s residence was engulfed in flames. The fire claimed the lives of his children: Rylee, aged 10, Connor, aged 9, and Alena, aged 7. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Kannin recounted that he and his children had gone to bed around 9 p.m. that evening.
Soon after, Kannin reportedly awoke and noticed a “small fire” in the kitchen upon going downstairs. In a panic, he rushed to his neighbor’s home, banging on their door for assistance, believing his children remained upstairs in the apartment.
When emergency responders arrived at about 10:30 p.m., the fire had already consumed the apartment entirely. Kannin urgently informed them that his three children were trapped inside.
The complaint reveals that Kannin attempted to return to his apartment after seeking help. He reportedly heard his children but was overwhelmed by smoke when he tried to re-enter, forcing him to retreat after just a few steps.
Tragically, Connor and Rylee were discovered deceased in the kitchen, the origin point of the fire. Alena was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Local affiliate WISN reports that evidence suggests the boys may have been cooking noodles on the stove while Kannin slept upstairs, potentially igniting the blaze. Investigators found one of the stove burners still turned on, supporting this theory.
Police said Kannin admitted to leaving various items on the stove, including “packs of donuts, his wallet, pack of cigarettes, a toaster, his work bag, napkins and possibly even other items,” which authorities believed could have caught fire while the boys were cooking.
According to the complaint, Kannin also admitted that he unhooked the smoke alarms in the apartment because he believed they were malfunctioning and going off at random, which was becoming “an annoyance.” Kannin told police that he smoked in the apartment, which was against the property’s rules, and boarded up the windows to prevent burglars from breaking in.
Jourdan Feasby, the mother of the three children, had dropped them off to spend the latter part of the Thanksgiving holiday with their father. In the complaint, she told police that she thought Kannin’s apartment was “absolutely disgusting.” She described the food situation for the kids when they stayed at the apartment as “fend for yourself, in a sense.”
In an interview with People, Feasby said she spoke to Kannin at the hospital after the fire, while he was being treated for smoke inhalation. She said she asked him, “You wouldn’t grab the kids first?”
The Kenosha Fire Department said in a press release after the charges were announced, “There is no evidence that the father, Joshua Kannin, caused the fire, either through an accident or a malicious act.”
Kannin was charged with three felony counts of child neglect causing death. He did not appear on any jail rosters on Thursday. His first court appearance was scheduled for May 14.
GoFundMe campaigns were launched after the fire to help raise money for expenses.
